Feed-in Tariff Plus

MCE (Marin Clean Energy) offers the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) Plus program as a standard-offer power purchase agreement for small-scale renewable energy projects located within its California service territory. The program provides developers with a predictable, 15-year fixed-term contract to sell energy to MCE at set pricing tiers, eliminating the need for prolonged negotiations and facilitating project financing. FIT Plus is open to solar photovoltaic systems paired with battery storage, with generation capacity sized between 1 MW and 5 MW (inverter nameplate) and storage capacity required at 180% of the inverter nameplate with a four-hour duration. Projects must be non-baseload (intermittent resources like solar or wind), with annual output capped at 2,800 MWh for solar and 3,600 MWh for other technologies.

Eligible projects must be located in MCE's service area, which spans portions of Marin, Napa, Solano, and Contra Costa counties in California. Developers are responsible for securing all necessary permits and environmental reviews from local planning authorities before MCE can approve an application and execute a contract. A conditional use permit, Notice of Determination, or demonstrated clear path from the local planning agency is required. Interconnection with the grid is managed by PG&E, who is the primary contact for generator interconnection matters (wholesalegen@pge.com).

Pricing under FIT Plus operates on a tiered structure based on remaining program capacity. The program currently is in Condition 5, offering an energy price of $60 per MWh with 10.8 MW of capacity remaining. Previous conditions (1 through 4) had pricing from $80 down to $65 per MWh and have been fully subscribed. Condition 6, the next tier, will offer $55 per MWh with 5 MW allocated. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and remaining capacity is updated monthly. There is no fixed submission deadline; the program remains open until all capacity is allocated.

To apply, developers must submit the FIT Plus Application along with the required supporting documentation. All contract terms are standardized and non-negotiable. MCE staff coordinates the contracting process after application submission. Detailed program documents are available, including the FIT Plus Tariff, Application, and Power Purchase Agreement templates. For inquiries, contact MCE at fit@mceCleanEnergy.org. The program has already supported numerous successful projects including solar farms from 60 kW to 5 MW across the service territory.